Hello Peter & All,
I have done my homework on cerana and actually suggested a cerana 
introduction might not be such a bad deal years ago. The paper Peter 
presents is 18 years old.  Since then we have quite a bit of new 
information.

In certain areas of China cerana is kept by commercial beeks and the size in 
certain areas is close to mellifera. Yields are much higher than 4 kg. per 
hive.  Beeks which went on the China beekeeping tour said 25 kg. and up at 
times. The hives they were shown were smaller than the melifera they were 
shown.

The main way cerana survives varroa jacobsoni is the fact only in very rare 
instances is varroa able to reproduce in cerana worker brood. .


>Through millions of years of being parasitized by the mite, the bees appear 
>to have developed some degree of resistance to its attacks.

This statement is pure BS.

Varroa jacobsoni was first noticed and discovered in 1904 so to say V.J has 
been a parasite of cerana for MILLIONS  of years is a big leap. The above is 
the kind of statement presenters do not make when I am sitting in the front 
row of a presentation as I will call their hand everytime.

Just as much proof exists V.J. might have first parasitized cerana in say 
1903. I realize Peter took the statement out of context but without a doubt 
the number one reason cerana survives V.J. is the mite not being able to 
reproduce in cerana worker brood and NOT abscounding although abscounding in 
feral colonies would help for sure..

Yes in rare cases a v.J. has been found in  a few worker brood but the 
worlds researchers and most published information says V.J. does not 
reproduce in cerana worker brood. Ever!

bob

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